Justice League Part One will arrive in November 2017 as the second and final movie in the DCEU 2017 set. It will follow the Wonder Woman solo flick (which will debut on the 2nd of June) and will have to tie up quite a few loose ends after the finale of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
And since the movie is so close to its release date (of course, when compared to Batman v Superman, a movie that was teased for more than three years), what do we know about it? What is fact and what is rumor?
This list is all about that - about separating the rumors from the facts, getting a clear picture of what will follow. So, without further ado, let's get it on!
As always, a spoiler warning is being issued - even if Batman v Superman was released about six weeks ago, seeing the numbers, it appears that quite a few people haven't seen it.
On the next page, the most obvious of all obvious things.
Zack Snyder will be back
Let's get the obvious out of the way - Zack Snyder will be back at the helm of Justice League Part One, after directing the first two installments of the DCEU. Even if he took the brunt of the fans' complaints, the DCEU is still being built upon his vision of a shared cinematic universe. And, for what it’s worth, the visuals in his movies are always top notch. Yes, in Batman v Superman, as well.
The director announced last month that he has already started shooting Justice League Part One, with a profile pic of Jason Momoa, who is Aquaman in this continuity. And it’s quite a pic, with plenty of things for the fans to be excited about.
It’s safe to say that Warner Bros. is a bit disappointed with the returns of Batman v Superman, which appear to settle below the $900 million mark. Nonetheless, the movie can hardly be said to have been a disappointment, successfully setting up (via various teases and Easter Eggs) the DCEU.
So Zack Snyder will get a third chance (or second, if you liked Man of Steel) to prove that he is also about substance, and not just about style.
On the next page, the aftermath of Batman v Superman!
The aftermath of Batman v Superman
When thinking about the aftermath of Batman v Superman, if you've seen the movie, then this can only mean one thing: Superman’s death. Heroically, and through sheer power of will, the Man of Steel speared Doomsday with the kryptonite spear designed by Batman.
Most obviously, everybody in the DCEU is now aware that Superman is dead. Which brings its own implications. However, and more importantly, Clark Kent is also dead in this shared universe, which makes the return of the superhero persona even more interesting.
Thus, while Superman is an alien, and no one knows whether or not he can return from the dead, Clark Kent is also dead. So what will happen when he tries to resume his life from where he left off? Will he even try to do that? Will his relationship with Lois Lane continue? It should, since it was teased that it is pretty important for his own sanity (the whole Knightmare sequence).
So Justice League Part One will have to deal with this issue - will Clark Kent return? And, probably more importantly, will Superman sport a mullet?
On the next page, falling short of superheroes.
Unite the Six
Back when Aquaman was released for the first time, his pic featured the very interesting Unite the Seven caption - which meant a number of things. However, at this point, are there really 7 Justice League founding members?
Batman and Wonder Woman can now be regarded as the leaders of the league. After all, they are the ones who will go and search for the other superheroes (as Flash suggested to Bruce Wayne at the end of the Knightmare sequence). The other existing superheroes are Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg, who were captured on camera by Lex Luthor.
Add to that Superman and you have only 6 of the 7 founding members. What does that mean?
At this point I can speculate that Shazam will also be introduced in the DCEU in 2017. The Rock teased the appearance of Black Adam before 2019 on several occasions, while Warner Bros. has said quite a few times that no Green Lantern will appear in the first Justice League film.
Leaving the speculation aside, the numbers don't add up. So here is a first big unknown for 2017.
On the next page, continuing the trend.
Even more anti-superhero propaganda
This has been an issue with me ever since I heard that Superman will be on trial for the destruction of Metropolis. How can he be judged for the actions of Zod and his cronies, when he literally saved the entire world?
Leaving this aside, this is the universe that Zack Snyder created - one in which the superheroes aren't seen with a positive eye (again, for reasons I can’t understand). After the events of Batman v Superman, I can only assume that things won't improve at all - yes, even if Batman led Doomsday to an unpopulated area.
There is still the issue of god-like beings using their powers unchecked - so how will that be resolved?
Furthermore, seeing that the DCEU is built upon the New 52, it is almost certain that the superheroes will unite (at first) from in the shadows. And there is also one more reason why they should do that: one of their leaders, Batman, has acquired a taste for blood (yet another reason why Batman v Superman fell short of the fans' expectations).
Where will this lead? I have no clue - but the Justice League will have to defeat one heck of an atrocious supervillain in order to gain the trust of the population.
On the next page, Wonder Woman connections.
Wonder Woman
The Wonder Woman solo flick will lead straight into Justice League Part One. And it isn't because they are released one after another - previously, it was said that the events of the first Wonder Woman film will have a great importance in the economy of the first major event of the DCEU.
Furthermore, a hint was also dropped in Batman v Superman, when the Amazon Princess said she had fought monsters from other worlds. But what does that mean?
At this point I have no idea, simply because I don't know anything about the Wonder Woman solo flick - in the sense that only the setting and who the good guys are were revealed. Which leaves everybody in the dark about what is most important in a superhero flick - the villains.
It is rumored that Circe and Ares will be the main antagonists. However, if this happens, the connection between what Wonder Woman said and the solo flick won't be so strong. So can we expect someone other than the above mentioned villains? Well, I hope so, especially if the Justice League will fight someone who previously tried (from the shadows, of course) to take over the world, via World Wars.
One thing is certain, though - Wonder Woman's 2017 adventure will lead directly into Justice League Part One.
On the next page, falling short of villains.
No Lex Luthor?!?
This was unexpected, at least to me. Even if some of the Batman v Superman scenes featuring Lex Luthor were a bit too over the top, this version of the character cannot be said to be uninteresting. And since his connection with a big baddie is more than obvious (especially after a certain deleted scene was released), it is bedazzling that he won't appear in the natural continuation of Batman v Superman.
And he may not appear, since at the end of March, Jesse Eisenberg hadn't received a call to be on the set of Justice League Part One. Of course, he might be called later on, especially if his role won't be so consistent. But the actor did say that the powers that be may not be decided on where his character will go.
Which is a damn shame, as far as I am concerned.
Of course, with Lex being in jail, some might say that it makes no sense to have him in the film. However, why would the greatest detective of all time leave this thread alone when someone uber-powerful is coming from beyond the stars?
As said, it is bedazzling.
On the next page, the obvious big baddie.
Darkseid
Darkseid is coming - and this is as obvious as the fact that Zack Snyder directed the first Justice League movie. Batman v Superman was riddled with hints about the supervillain. The biggest of them all was the Knightmare sequence, the visions Bruce had when Flash jumped in time - parademons, the huge Omega sign, the even bigger volcanic vents, and so on.
Even Superman being a baddie was a hint, just like in the elseworld story Superman: The Dark Side, where Kal-El landed on Apokolips and not on Earth (of course, things are a bit more complicated, since Injustice hints are dropped at the same time).
So it’s safe to assume that more and more hints and Easter Eggs about Darkseid's arrival will be dropped in Justice League Part One.
That's right. I don't believe this big baddie will make his appearance just yet. Instead, I think we'll have to wait until Justice League Part Two for his arrival - as mentioned previously, the DCEU is based on the new 52 and this should be the biggest of all hints.
On the next page, a possible – and long overdue – villain.
Brainiac
This is a long shot, and nothing more than a rumor - but what if, before Darkseid, Brainiac were to be the villain of the Justice League?
There are several nods in Batman v Superman that indicate that this could happen. First off, there is the whole knowledge thing, which played an important part in the evolution of Lex Luthor. And then there is also his statement that the thing that is coming is hungry for this knowledge. And then there is also this, a screenshot taken from the Communion deleted scene.
It's pretty anorexic, but this is a theory nonetheless. And since Darkseid is one of the biggest baddies of the DC comics, maybe he should be kept back for later on. Maybe Brainiac will come instead and be the villain of the first Justice League film, or even the first and the second.
If not, I believe that Darkseid should still be kept for the sequel. Which leads us to another point on the list.
Steppenwolf
Back to the Communion clip, the menacing alien cannot be anyone other than Steppenwolf. In the comics, he is the uncle of Darkseid, as well as a member of Darkseid's Elite, who leads the supervillain's army in the battle.
We can expect that this character will be adjusted for the big screen, as we have already seen in the clip - besides the anthropomorphic figure, the Mother Boxes, and all the correlations, this will be a completely different character.
And it isn't hard to believe that he will prepare Earth for the arrival of his master. Maybe his forces are the ones defeated by Wonder Woman? Maybe he is manipulating other, smaller villains from the shadows, in order to throw the superheroes off track and place the Mother Boxes all over the world?
Maybe all of the above?
At any rate, this seems to be, to me at least, the best approach for bringing Darkseid to the big screen: by introducing his generals first.
On the next page, the actors.
Justice League - New Entries
About a month ago, some leaks on the web revealed which actors Warner Bros. is courting for roles in the DCEU. From those leaks, only the name of Willem Dafoe has been confirmed thus far for an unspecified role in the upcoming Justice League Part One. However, he isn't the only big name wanted for the DCEU.
Thus, the studio is also looking at Alfred Molina, Javier Bardem, Bill Nighy, and Ed Harris. And seeing that Willem Dafoe has indeed joined the cast of Justice League Part One, who is to say that the said leak wasn't true?
Given the secrecy surrounding the project, we’ll still have to wait a couple of months or more until additional cast members are revealed. Check it out in here - there are also some worrying rumors about the possible titular villain.
Of course, everybody now knows who will portray the heroes (Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, and Ezra Miller). Jeremy Irons will return as Alfred Pennyworth, J.K. Simmons is Commissioner Gordon, Amy Adams is Lois Lane, and Amber Heard was already announced to portray Mera.
On the next page, a wild expectation in regard to a specific, unbreakable rule.
Batman will return to his no-killing rule
Let's be honest - the Batman from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was the best thing in the whole movie. And while I didn't mind seeing him using guns and killing countless unnamed henchmen, this seemed to be a problem for many others.
However, since this was a habit he most likely picked up after the death of Robin AND after the destruction of Metropolis, I believe that he won't be doing this any longer. The biggest reason why he became so ruthless with the villains was the appearance of a god-like being that had the potential of destroying Earth.
With this threat diminished (I believe Batman does know that Superman isn't dead), he can now return to his old habits - of not killing.
I do hope, though, that the Dark Knight will remain as agile and as badass in Justice League Part One as he was in Batman v Superman.
On the next page, a little something about Lois Lane (or someone else?)
Lois Lane and Martha Kent
This needs to be addressed - the peril of time-jumping altering the timeline. In Batman v Superman, Flash comes back in time and warns Bruce that Lois Lane is the key. If Superman is about to go nuts after Lois dies, then Bruce needs to do his very best to protect her.
However, the timeline has already changed and the one in peril was Martha (oh, boy) Kent, Clark’s mother. So can I assume that it will change even more from here on?
Zack Snyder said that the Flash cameo was introduced into the script well after the movie started shooting. According to the director, it was introduced just because (imagine that) it will pay off sometime further down the line. Is Justice League Part One the movie in which Flash travels back in time?
Not likely, since the character and his powers need to be established at first.
Nonetheless, this means that Zack Snyder and Chris Terrio will have to pay attention to these two supporting characters, Lois Lane and Martha (oh, boy) Kent, just in case it turns out that they’ll play a bigger part down the road. And this means that, starting with Justice League Part One, they won't be used AGAIN just as damsels in distress who need to be saved.
Which is a good thing.
On the next page, the wildest rumor of them all - and you might like this, for obvious reasons!
Atlantis vs. Themyscira
Was I the only one who thought about this possibility when the first pic of Aquaman was released?!? Could Warner Bros attempt a Flashpoint adaptation so early in the history of the DCEU?
Well, this would explain plenty of things, including the murderous tendencies of Batman, the psychological instability of Superman, and so on. If all of this were happening in an already altered timeline, then these changes made to the characters don't seem out of the ordinary.
Sure, this doesn’t explain huge chunks of Batman v Superman (such as all of those Darkseid teases), but it is a possibility which should be taken into account.
This rumor reappeared online a couple of weeks ago: When Batman and Wonder Woman go to recruit Aquaman, something reignites the war that existed between the Atlanteans and the Amazons. And we guess everybody knows how it all ends.
If Flashpoint is to be adapted, starting with Justice League Part One, then Warner Bros. will have an easy way out of the current DCEU.
Lastly, here is what I don't want to see in Justice League Part One.
3-Hour Long Commercial for the Sequel (and the Other Solo Flicks)
This is a huge possibility - since nobody knows who these new superheroes are, Warner Bros may intend to allot quite a lot of time to developing them (which is a good thing). However, no matter how big a portion from the movie each will receive, it will still not be enough.
So I guess that the easiest way out for Warner Bros. (and not the writers or the director) is to raise expectations and plant seeds - the Easter Eggs and teases towards the sequel (obviously), as well as the solo movies. And that is because Justice League Part One will be followed by Flash, Shazam and Aquaman solo movies, movies that won't necessarily be origin stories.
So Justice League Part One might end up overcrowded - overcrowded not with characters, but with unnecessary teases toward movies to come.
Or, at least, this is what I fear the most (even more than knowing that Zack Snyder has every chance to mess this one up, as well).
